District of



" (JT/Wig, J'. with Q PATENTED 74015 mm @@X FEB 41868 @uitrit gratisgstrut @Hire JOHN SMITH AND JAMES D. SMITH, v'OF vWASIIING'ION, DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.

Leers Param: No, 74,015, dated February 4, 185e.

LETTER-B0X.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, JoHN W. SMITH und JAMES D. SMITH, of the city ofWashington, and District of Columbia, have invented e new and usefulImprovement in Mail-Boxes; and we do hereby declare that the fol'-lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,makingl e. part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a. top orplsu View of mail-box. i

Figure 2 is e. side View.

Figure 3 is u perspective view.

Figure 4 is e. top View of trough-cover.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are views, in detail, oi' cylinder, chain, andcoiled spring,

Like letters in the dii'ere'nt figures of the drawings indicate likeparts.

The nature of our invention consists in providing the top of the lid orcover of'a mail-boxwith e. longitudnal trdugh., und the arrangement of acylinder, coiled spring, pulley-chain, and cover, With the sume, so thatthe entire inside space ofthe box may be used for the reception of themail-mutter.

In other boxes, the cylinder or dropping-plate being on the inside ofthe box, occupies a. good deul of space in the same, and when the boxhosbecome lled up to the cylinder or plo-te with the mail-metter, it istherefore liable to interfere with e free movement of the cylinder orplete, and consequently tends to defeat the purpose of preventingintrusion.

To enable any one skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the box, made or any required size. We cast the top of the lid orcover a with a. longitudinal trough, B, of nearly o. circular shape,transversely, end place therein e cylinder, C, and attach it to the endsof the trough by pivots, 5 The cylinder is made with en opening or slot,c, large enough for the reception of newspepers, pamphlets, and otherlike mutter. A. coiled spring, D, is suitably enclosed et the end of thetrough, und arranged to connect in o. proper manner with. the pivot ofthe cylinder. E is the pulley, attached to the end of the cylinder. F isthe chain, which is properly fastened to the pulley, und to the cover G.The cover is made to t close down'ovei` the trough. i

Operntion: When the lid is raised, the slot or opening oi theoylinder,'wl1ich was down in the box, is brought up by the ohnin movingthe cylinder around, and, on depositing the newspaper or other mattertherein, and es soon as the lid is let go of, the action of theV springwill immediately close the lid G down on the box, and at the somo timewill return the cylinder to its original position, and the newspaperwill be deposited or dropped therefrom in the box.

It will be seen that we accomplish this on the outside of ther lid ofthe box, so that there will be no Weste space on the inside of the same,thus allowing the whole space to be occupied with the mail-matter, anddispcnsing with doors on the sides ofthe boxfor the removal ofthe matterfrom the same.

We cluim that our box, as constructed, will hold more mail-metter thanothers ofthe same size, und cost less,

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement 'of the cylinder C, coiled spring D, pulley E, chain F,and cover G, with the trough B, when constructed on the top of the lidor cover A, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinset forth.

JOHN W. SMITH, JAMES D. SMITH,

Witnesses:

T. C. CoNNoLLY', D. G. Lumenos.

